


Supine

by ArchaicAsterism



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Blood and Injury, Choking, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt No Comfort, I really like making suga cry its therapeutic, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Lowkey cliffhanger but I may write more, M/M, Psychological Torture, THESE AREN'T SEXUAL I PROMISE, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, This physically hurt why did I do this, Torture, Violence, Well a tiny bit of comfort, Whipping, Whump, as a treat, minor mentions of blood, no beta we die like men, pain lots of pain, slight mental instability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:42:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29944656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchaicAsterism/pseuds/ArchaicAsterism
Summary: su·pine/ˈso͞oˌpīn/adjectiveFailing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence.--Alone, they have only each other to hold on to.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Sawamura Daichi, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi, Original Female Character/Original Male Character (Unrequited)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 20





	Supine

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! The OiSuga tag is severely lacking in torture fics, so I have stepped in to fix that. This is not the best, especially because there isn't really a plot, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!! Please feel free to point out any mistakes <33 Comments mean everything thank u

"Hey, Tooru?" Sugawara called from his bedroom. He sat on the bed he shared with his boyfriend, scrolling through his phone. 

Oikawa’s answering hum drifted from their bathroom, where the brunette was preparing for bed with his (endearingly stupid) skincare routine. The man never really  _ needed _ a routine, but he insisted. Something about being wrinkle-free and smooth when he was seventy? Suga couldn't remember, but the reasoning got more and more dramatic every time he asked. 

"Asahi just sent me this weird article. Have you heard about that guy who's been kidnapping girls?" 

"Jesus Koushi. Is that really bedtime story material?" Oikawa teased, emerging from the bathroom and drying his face. "You don't need to worry, you have me to protect you!" He exclaimed, striking one of the dumbest poses Suga has ever seen in his life. 

Suga snorted, lightly kicking his partner with his foot. "Don't be insensitive! I'm not really worried about me, I just-," He paused, a frown tugging at his lips, "those poor girls." 

Sensing that Sugawara was genuinely upset about this, Oikawa slipped into bed, wrapping his arms around the smaller's shoulders. He briefly scanned the article over Suga’s shoulder, eyes narrowing as the article mentioned that the girls had been kept for days before being "mysteriously released" and forced to wander the city. 

Before this could spiral, Oikawa plucked the phone from Suga’s hand. He wagged his finger, holding the phone above his head. 

"Now now my dear, you know better than to read the stuff Asahi sends you before bed. It's not good for your health to worry so much." Oikawa mused, pointedly ignoring the glare his boyfriend was giving him. 

"Give me back my phone," Suga grumbled, reaching up to grab it. "This isn't very funny."

Oikawa disagreed. It was kind of funny. 

"Seriously Tooru, I want to go to bed." 

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Oikawa handed back the phone. He watched as Suga huffed, placing the device on their nightstand before slipping under the covers. He cut off the lamp, submerging the room in darkness. Taking that as a sign to drop the topic, Oikawa followed Suga under the covers, bringing the other's body closer to his. 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, with nothing to be heard other than soft breathing. Moments passed, the clock on the wall silently ticking away. 

"What if it were us?" 

The words were spoken so quietly that Oikawa almost missed them. He thought for a moment, taking the time to actually think about it. What if they  _ were  _ to end up like those girls? 

"It won't be. Try not to worry so much, get some sleep."

  
  


⇐ - ⇒ 

  
  


" _ -ga! Suga wake up!"  _

The words vaguely registered in Sugawara's ears, his brain sluggishly trying to break through the static and catch up with what was being said. All sound was muffled; like someone had shoved cotton in his ears. There was also a dull pain at the back of his head as if someone had taken to running it over with a train. 

" _ Koushi!"  _

_ What?  _

Slowly blinking his eyes open, Sugawara flinched at the harsh fluorescent lights. His eyes desperately tried to focus on the blurry figure in front of him, but his vision stubbornly remained fuzzy. Squinting, Suga could make out the man's basic features. He seemed tall, well-built, and had the softest looking coffee brown hair. He looked a lot like-

"Oikawa?" 

Sugawara quickly tried to clear his vision, blinking rapidly to clear the haze. Relief seemed to be the most prominent emotion on his boyfriend's face, but his eyes were wide with panic. He glanced around before nodding slowly.

"It's me, god yeah- it's me. I'm so glad you're awake." 

Confusion etched its way onto his face, and Oikawa must have noticed because he let out a sigh before slumping back in the chair, ( _ they were in chairs?)  _ and looking to the ceiling. It was then that Sugawara noticed that Oikawa’s hands weren't immediately visible, and there was a heavy weight upon his own wrists. A quick jerk of his hands proved that their hands were tightly wrapped in silver.

"Koushi don't-" 

" _ ARE WE FUCKING CUFFED?"  _ Koushi screeched, voice pitching as panic clawed at his chest. They were handcuffed, in god knows where, and his head was  _ killing  _ him. 

Oikawa bolted up, sitting ramrod straight and making the cuffs clang against the back of the chair. He frantically shushed the silvernette, eyes darting from Suga’s face to the door at their left. His eyes were so wide, so  _ fearful _ , that Koushi’s mouth clamped shut in shock. If  _ Oikawa  _ was this afraid of whatever was going on, just what the fuck had they gotten themselves into? 

Before Suga’s question could be answered, the door slammed open, creaking on its hinges. 

What the fuck?

"Well, would you look at that? It seems our guests are awake and alert! We appreciate you joining us today." A voice called, smoothly cutting through the tense atmosphere of the room.

_ What the fuck. _

The voice continued, growing louder as they moved into the room. "It seems Sleeping Beauty has gotten all her beauty rest! How are we, princess?" 

Silence echoed around the room, making Suga’s ears ring. It took a few moments before he realized that whoever this was, they were talking to  _ him.  _ He paled, wide grey eyes blinking owlishly at Oikawa.

The brunette’s jaw was set and his body was rigid, his eyes harshly staring at their kidnapper. Any traces of fear were shoved back in favor of raw unfiltered  _ anger.  _

"Don't talk to him like that." Oikawa hissed through gritted teeth, venom dripping from every word. Suga would feel touched if he wasn't so sure that they were about to  _ fucking die.  _

"Getting bold Oikawa? I would watch my tongue if I were you." 

The blood in Suga’s veins freezes, his mind going completely blank for a moment.  _ 'They know our names.'  _ He thinks, panicked more in this one moment than he's ever been in his life.  _ What else do they know?  _

Across from him, Oikawa is still seething. "I'm not the one hiding and making idle threats. What the hell do you even want with us?" 

There's no response. 

Oikawa looks like he's about to blow a fuse, so Suga frightfully tries to calm the other. He's desperately mouthing " _ don't"  _ over and over, trying to stop Oikawa before he gets them both in more trouble. Unfortunately, Oikawa disregards him almost completely, spitting out a sharp, "You son of a bi-"

_ SMACK  _

Sugawara jumps in his seat, his hair standing on edge as his mouth falls open in shock. Oikawa is wearing a matching expression, his head almost completely turned by the force of the slap. His cheek is blooming red already, and Suga winces in sympathy. He wants nothing more than to just break the cuffs and run to his boyfriend's side, but rationality holds him back. He's not strong enough to break the restraints, he isn't some superhero blessed with unnatural strength, and the thought hurts a lot more than he would've expected. A small whimper escapes his lips, and both their captor and Oikawa turn to look at him. 

_ Shit.  _

Now, fully in the light and right in his face, Sugawara can make out the features of a tall woman, maybe a few inches shorter than Oikawa himself. Her hair is dark brown, pulled back into a tight bun, and clipped with a jeweled bird. She's too far for him to tell  _ what  _ kind of bird it is, but it's not like it matters much to Suga anyway. This woman had just struck his boyfriend. 

"Now, now Hisa," The voice calls again, and Suga has to do a double-take. That wasn't  _ her  _ this whole time? There were  _ two?  _ Just what the hell was going on here? "we haven't even shown them the best part yet! Have some patience dear." 

The woman huffs before pulling out a rag from her breast pocket. She swiftly wipes her hands, clear disgust written across her features. She offers no reply, but steps aside to dutifully clasp her hands at her front. 

Weird. 

The other person in the room decides to then make themselves known. A man steps up and places himself at Sugawara’s left side. He's smiling, with a single manilla folder tucked neatly under his arm. The man is smiling comfortably, with no trace of malice or even anger. There's no manic glee in his eyes, and no sneer masquerading as a smile. It seems almost  _ genuine.  _

"I apologize for such rough treatment boys!" The man starts, a large hand coming to rest on Suga’s shoulder. Suga tenses and flinches at the pressure, breath hitching in his throat. He hears a low growl from across from him—a warning from Oikawa to  _ whoever  _ this guy is—but the man waves it off,  _ still fucking smiling.  _ Suga is so uncomfortable he feels like he's going to vomit. "We simply couldn't pass this opportunity up. You know how it is, don't you? Now, all we ask is that you comply, we wouldn't want any," a pause as the hand on his shoulder squeezes, "problems, now would we?" 

Suga decides that it's  _ his  _ turn to take over because Oikawa is in no position to negotiate. "Uh, n-no sir-," 

"Please, none of the formalities. Call me Itona dear," the man interrupted. 

The words felt like ash on his tongue but he  _ had _ to push through, for both of them. "No,  _ Itona."  _

Their captor seemed delighted at that, the pressure relinquishing almost immediately. ' _ Good,'  _ Suga thinks,  _ 'this is good.' _

"Perfect! Now, for a bit of insurance. Hisa, if you will." 

Insurance? 

The woman, (Hisa, he remembers) brings a small table forward, placing it between Sugawara and Oikawa. Itona gracefully pulls out the folder, placing it on the table. "As you know, we have only one condition, if you fail to meet these requirements, well," The man trails off, flipping open the folder and showing its contents.

Bile rises up in Suga's throat, gagging him as he catches sight of the folder's contents. Inside, there are tens, if not maybe  _ hundreds _ of photos of one Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio. They all seem to be taken without permission, and Suga feels like he might be sick. There are pictures of them walking down the street, at the store, in the car. There are so many,  _ too  _ many, and Suga momentarily thinks this is just some sort of sick nightmare. 

"You could easily be replaced." 

_ Replaced.  _

Now, Sugawara Koushi  _ knows _ replacement. He's no stranger to it, and he knows that Oikawa isn't either. However, he also knows that this is the one time he will fight his  _ hardest _ to avoid getting replaced. This isn't losing his high school volleyball spot to a first-year, or ranking second on a test. This is something  _ more.  _ Something neither Hinata nor Kageyama deserve. He prays that Oikawa is thinking the same. 

Looking up at his partner, it seems as though all the fight has been drained from Oikawa’s body. He's staring wide-eyed at the display of photos with no visible emotion. It hurts, to see his boyfriend so resigned, so  _ defeated _ already. It tears at Suga’s insides, something fierce, but deep down he knows that it's necessary. He looks back to Hinata and Kageyama, who in one picture, is strolling along and holding hands. They're completely unaware of whatever sick plot these people are planning, and Suga wants, no,  _ needs  _ to keep it that way. 

"Understood." Suga internally thanks whoever is listening that his voice only shook slightly. He was scared, terrified even. His skin itched and crawled and dread rested heavily inside his stomach.  _ 'Pull yourself together. It's you or them.' _

Sugawara decided then and there that it didn't matter how afraid he was. Under no circumstances, absolutely _ none  _ was he to give up and let these  _ monsters  _ take another couple. Let alone his former underclassman. He and Oikawa were strong. They could handle this, they would have to. For  _ them.  _

  
  


⇐ - ⇒ 

  
  


The next thing Suga knew, he was waking up again. He really needed to stop waking up disoriented, it wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of. 

Once again he pried his eyes open, this time more than pleased to find no eye-burning light swallowing his vision. If anything, it was a little  _ too  _ dark, and Suga’s eye's needed a moment to adjust. He blinked the spots away from his vision, allowing all his senses to return to him. 

After a moment, he began to realize three things: The first was that neither he nor Oikawa were still upright and cuffed to chairs, as he woke up laying down on cold hard stone. The second was that the room he woke up in was not the room he had apparently been knocked out in. The third was that he had no idea if Oikawa was still with him. 

Bolting up, Sugawara groaned as his head spun. He tightly closed his eyes, willing away the pounding headache that he could feel building up.  _ Focus. Find Oikawa.  _ That was his first and only priority. 

"Oikawa?" he whispered, careful not to make the same mistake twice. Being met with silence did nothing to assuage his fears, and that panic from earlier had decided to make a full comeback. Suga was careful not to freak out just yet, but he wasn't sure how long that was going to last. 

He turned onto his hands and knees, deciding that this would be the best way to find Oikawa, ' _ if he was even in here',  _ his brain supplied. 

Shaking off the thought, Sugawara began slowly crawling, moving his hands out and around in a circular motion. Right, left, right, left. It gave him something to focus on besides the gnawing fear at the back of his head. 

Finally, after a few more moments of searching, his left hand brushed against something solid. Breath catching in his throat, Suga slowly ran his hand over it until he was met with a handful of hair. It was almost silky soft to the touch, even after going through what they have. Suga  _ knew _ that this was Oikawa, it had to be. 

His hand found its way down to Oikawa’s shoulder with little difficulty, and he shook it roughly. Oikawa groaned but made no move to actually wake up. This wasn't good. Was this how Oikawa had felt earlier? If so, he owed the other an apology. 

"Oikawa, come on! Wake up, please," Suga murmured. He fought the urge to start yelling, as that would help no one. The smoldering ember of panic was almost a full flame by now, and Suga was two seconds away from losing his mind. Was Oikawa injured? What exactly were they meant to comply with? Where were they? 

As the thoughts ran through his head, Suga felt Oikawa shift under his touch. Immediately, relief cut through his worry and he continued shaking Oikawa, hoping to fully rouse him to consciousness. 

Much like Suga, Oikawa woke sluggishly, with his eyes blinking open and adjusting to the lighting change. Then came the awareness. Suga felt the moment Oikawa realized he was being touched, his entire body going taut with apprehension. 

"Oikawa, it's me, it's Koushi," the silvernette soothed, "are you hurt?" 

A moment passed, then two. 

Sugawara waited patiently, knowing just how much was going on in Oikawa's head right now. He needed a moment to process, and Suga had no problem giving it to him. His only worry was that their captors were bound to return at any moment, and he hoped it wasn't any time soon. 

"-ine, I'm fine." The words pulled Koushi from his thoughts, eyes traveling back down to meet Oikawa’s. If he squinted hard enough, Suga could make out the most basic of Oikawa’s features. 

Suga nodded in acknowledgment, though he wasn't sure if Oikawa saw it. Either way, he moved back to allow Oikawa room to sit up. 

The brunette did so immediately, pushing himself off of the floor and rolling out his wrists. Now the adrenaline rush was over, Suga felt his own wrists were chaffed. The pain was minimal, which was good, so Suga saw no need to tend to it right now. 

"Are you hurt?" Oikawa asked once he had finished righting the blood flow to his hands. Suga smiled softly at the concern and hummed. He was itching to get closer to Oikawa, he needed to  _ feel  _ him alive and uninjured. As if sensing his thoughts, Oikawa lazily opened his arms, just wide enough for Suga to fall into. 

Suga took full advantage of that, leaning and burying his face into Oikawa's neck. The taller wrapped one arm protectively around his head, its twin coming to rest on Suga’s waist. It's the best Sugawara had felt since waking up here, and he soaked up the affection like a sponge with water. Tears of frustration welled up in Suga's eyes, grey glazing over with the physical manifestation of all his recent stress. It felt good in Oikawa's arms,  _ too _ good. It was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped. 

Oikawa held him there, gently soothing the shake in his shoulders as the reality of their situation crashed down around them. They might very well never see their friends or family again, and the very notion made Suga want to sob all over again.

"Too- Tooru," Suga hiccuped. He felt pathetic, lying in his boyfriend's arms and crying like a baby, "n-no matter wh-what, I love you." This could be the last time he was able to say those words, and it  _ hurt.  _ Suga’s chest felt like it might collapse. If they were going to die, he wanted some of the last words he ever said to his boyfriend were a reassurance. What he said was true; no matter what, he loved Tooru more than anything. 

The arms around him tightened slightly, and Suga could feel Oikawa’s body tremble. Suga had no idea if it was because the brunette was scared, or if he was just feeding off Suga’s emotions. 

He felt more than heard the gentle whisper of “I love you too” into his starlight hair, but Suga already knew that. He knew that Oikawa loved him, he had known for years now. Still, the sentiment made him smile. This was fine, they were  _ fine.  _ As long as they were together. 

A slow clapping interrupted their moment, and Suga instinctively curled closer to the solid chest at his side. 

“That was beautiful! Hisa darling, did you get that? Oh man, your friends are going to love this!” The man from before spoke, his voice echoing throughout the room. When had he gotten here? Why hadn’t they heard him come in? Suga craned his neck to look around the room but came up empty. It was still too dark to see anything properly. 

“Oh, how rude of me! Here, let me get the lights.” 

Immediately, light exploded around the room, forcing Suga to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid being blinded. After a moment, Suga opened his eyes and softly pushed away from Oikawa to better survey the room. 

The room itself was large, but nothing special. If anything, it was less of a room and more of a basement. The walls were completely bare, save for a few cameras that were pointed directly at them. The strangest thing about the room though was the large glass window that divided half of the space. Standing on the other side was Hisa, placed at the side of her employer and flanked by two burly men. Her gaze was fixed on the two of them, and Suga shivered. He didn't like the look she was giving him. It radiated smug satisfaction and Suga  _ hated  _ it.

The brunette leaned over to her boss, whispering into his ear. After receiving a nod in what Suga assumed was confirmation, she signaled for the men behind her to leave. That couldn't be good. 

"Tooru," Suga whispered, "what do you think is happening?" He was sure Oikawa had no idea, but he needed a distraction. Anything to avoid facing whatever was about to happen. 

Oikawa didn't reply, favoring the action of running his fingers through Suga’s hair. It would've been comforting, if not for the tension tightening every muscle in his body. It was a glaring reminder of the fact that Oikawa was just as scared, if not more. It was a reminder that all of this was  _ real.  _

Oikawa continued to stroke his hair, even when the door opened and the men entered the room. He continued even when the speaker in the room came on, announcing that "the real fun" was about to begin. With no time to question what exactly the "fun" was, Suga yelped as he was roughly snatched from the arms of his boyfriend. He was traded one solid body for another, large muscled arms locking around his neck. The small bit of comfort was taken as quickly as it had come. 

The silvernette was helpless to watch as Oikawa was dragged up from the floor by the man's companion. Suga flinched, locking eyes with Oikawa as he mouthed, " _ It's okay _ ".

It wasn't okay. 

After Oikawa was forced to stand, the loudspeaker came on again, telling the two men to begin whatever it was they were sent in here to do. 

Suga watches in horror as the other man cracks his knuckles, grinning and stalking towards Oikawa. Oh god were they going to attack him? Suga began struggling in the iron tight grip he was locked in, attempting to free himself and get to Oikawa. He was  _ not  _ about to just sit here and watch this happen. 

"Stop moving." A voice grunts in his ear. Sugawara wasn't about to listen, of course, his boyfriend was in  _ danger  _ for god's sake. He thrashes harder, throwing his head back in an attempt to catch the other man in the face. 

His efforts end up yielding nothing more than a sharp smack to his head. The arm locked around his throat tightens only for a moment in a warning. Suga reluctantly settles, muscles still tense and itching to do  _ something.  _ Across the room, Oikawa didn't seem to be fairing much better. 

Sugawara could do nothing but watch as the broader male threw Oikawa against the wall, back meeting stone with enough force to produce a small audible  _ crack _ . Wincing, Suga bit down on his lip to avoid saying something else that would earn him another hit. It was hard, forcing down screams and pleads. He wanted to shout and lash out, scream at their kidnappers to just  _ leave him alone.  _ Oikawa deserved none of this, so why do this to him when Suga was  _ right there?  _ His thoughts began to spiral, jumping from one to another. He wondered if there was anything he could've- no  _ should've _ done to prevent this. Why them? Suga liked to think he and Oikawa were good people. So why?  _ Why  _ were they here?  _ Why was this happening? _

The tangy taste of iron flooded Suga’s mouth as he bit harder into his lip. The taste brought Suga back to his senses, thoughts clearing as he took in the state of his boyfriend. Slumped on the floor, Oikawa looked completely unresponsive, which made Suga’s entire heart rate spike tremendously. This time, when he struggled, he was released immediately. Suga wasted no time rushing over to assess the damage. He kneeled next to Oikawa, moving his bangs and sighing in relief when he saw that the brunette was unconscious. 

It was better that way, the pain would heal and hopefully let up by the time he woke up. While Suga continued to survey the damage done, something large and plastic connected with the back of his head. Grunting, Suga swiveled around, eyes landing on a shoddy white first aid kit. He looked up from the kit to find whoever threw it but came up empty. 

Whatever, Oikawa was more important anyway. 

So Suga set to work, tending to Oikawa’s wounds with the limited supplies and humming whatever tune came to his head. Once finished, Suga sat Oikawa up against the wall, slipping his shoulder underneath his head. He linked their pinkies, frowning at the lack of response. He briefly nuzzled the tufts of chocolate hair that tickled his face before sighing and closing his eyes. 

Maybe he would wake up and find that this whole thing was nothing but a bad dream. 

  
  


⇐ - ⇒ 

The shackle on his ankle had begun to feel heavier as time passed. Suga had no idea how long it had been since the last "session", but he was sure it had to have been a few days. Three, if he'd had to guess. Cursing, Suga shifted; annoyance spiking at the rattling of that  _ fucking chain.  _ He could learn to deal with everything else: the painful pangs of hunger, the constant aches, and bruises, but that  _ chain.  _ That damned piece of metal was quickly climbing up the ladder as the bane of his existence. 

"Keep staring any harder and you might burn a hole through it."

_ Tooru.  _

Sugawara looked up, meeting Oikawa’s eyes. They no longer held any of their usual spark, and that hurt more than any of his injuries ever could. His words were spoken like a joke but held no humor within them. 

"Good, maybe I could do the same with your cuffs," Suga replied. He winced, his voice quiet and throat scratchy. It'd been too long since he had a proper drink of water, and the screaming definitely didn't seem to help either. 

Tooru lazily glanced down to the cuffs securely wrapped around his wrists. Unlike the first time, his hands were cuffed at the front, keeping him from trying to attack Itona or his men.  _ Again.  _

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence after that, neither wanting to get too comfortable. They had made that mistake once, and Suga  _ never  _ wanted to repeat that incident. He winced, feeling the press of fingers all over his skin, and yet no one was touching him. Irritated, he craved Oikawa’s presence. 

"Tooru come here." 

Oikawa obeyed without question, making his way over with only a small bit of difficulty. Satisfied, Sugawara moved closer, resting his head against Oikawa’s, careful to avoid any of his head injuries. Once they were as comfortable as they could get, the itch in Suga's skin began to lessen, and his body began to settle. Oikawa was here, next to him, and that was all that mattered. Suga began to trace patterns into Oikawa's long leg, relishing in the closeness they were allowed for today. Apparently, Itona wanted to let his "stars" rest for the day, something Sugawara was not going to complain about. A break meant Things One and Two would leave them alone for the time being. If  _ that  _ wasn't the best thing that happened since the start of this whole ordeal, Suga didn't know what was. 

He was still reeling from his last encounter with them, memories replaying in his head like a movie. A really shitty movie. 

⇐ - ⇒ 

Itona had only shown himself twice since the first day. 

He had come to deliver their first meal, the one and only Suga was allowed to have while he was here. At least, according to the man himself. 

Their only other visitors were the first two thugs, who were sometimes joined by a third member that Suga had never seen before. Their names were irrelevant, so Suga called them Number 1 and Number 2 respectively. Number 1 was the strong and silent type, with neatly cut black hair and bright blue eyes. He wasn't necessarily gentle or  _ nice  _ per se, but he wasn't anything like his brutish partner.

Number 2 was smaller in height but matched Number 1 in muscle. He was more chatty and spoke with an accent that Suga couldn't place. His eyes were a rich brown and always alight with sadistic glee. Suga hated Number 2 the most. 

He was currently relaying as much to Oikawa, who agreed. 

With his head resting in Oikawa's lap, Suga whispered his concerns and hoped that the camera wasn't sensitive enough to pick up his words. 

"Honestly Tooru! He gives me a bad feeling and we've literally been  _ kidnapped _ . I would rather take queen bitch over that guy." 

"I know darling, I know," Oikawa nodded along, offering small hums in response to the rest of Suga’s rant. Pausing, Suga looked up to fully take in his partner. He looked tired, with his hair filthy and matted and his skin blooming with splotches of purple and red. Guilt welled up in Suga's chest the longer he looked. He had been nothing but useless since they got here, forced to sit back and watch. It was agony, he wanted nothing more than to prevent every one of Oikawa’s injuries; past, present, and future. 

Thankfully enough, the wounds Suga could see seemed to be healing nicely. 

"Well, what do we have here?" Number 2 called, startling Suga out of his inspection. He paled at the wide smirk the man was wearing, which meant nothing but trouble. "You seein' this Nao? The lovebirds are gettin' comfy! We'll have to fix that, won't we?" 

Shit. 

_ Shitshitshitshitshit _

Number 1 didn't answer, he never really did, but made his way towards them anyway. Suga panicked, sitting up abruptly. He knew Tooru wouldn't be able to take another beating, not today. 

Before he could make a move, his entire bicep was gripped and that was _definitely_ going to leave a bruise. He was ripped from Oikawa’s warm lap, something that seemed to be happening quite frequently. 

"I think we should change things up Nao, what do you think?" Number two asked. It was probably rhetorical because Number 2 always did what he pleased no matter what Number 1 said (or didn't say for that matter). 

Suga quietly allowed Number 2 to manhandle him into a loose headlock, knowing full well that any resistance would end up hurting Oikawa in the long run. 

"Did you bring the chair?" 

Number 1 nodded, swiftly retrieving the chair from the door. Suga watched in confusion as he forced Oikawa to sit, harshly gripping his shoulders to keep the brunette in place. His confusion morphed into relief because this had to mean that Oikawa would be spared anything  _ too  _ severe today. 

That relief shriveled up and died within moments. 

Number 2's other hand had decided to make itself known on his hip, slowly raising the hem of his flimsy shirt. Suga’s breathing quickened, wide eyes flicking everywhere  _ but  _ down. 

A choked-off shout brought his attention to Oikawa, whose earlier tiredness was completely offset by the angry red lighting up his face. He jerked up against Number 1's hold, desperately clawing at the bigger man's hands. Number 1 remained unaffected, but there was a small downturn of annoyance on his lips. 

Number 2's hand had made its way to Suga’s chest, and he could feel disgusted tears prickling at his eyes. He was so  _ pathetic.  _ All Suga could do, all he  _ has done _ , is sit here and  _ cry.  _ He needed to do something, something other than be completely useless. 

"To-oru," his voice hitched as Number 2's hand began  _ squeezing _ , "It's okay, let it happen." Suga cringed as his voice shook, but it was enough to remind Oikawa that they promised  _ compliance.  _

Behind him, Number 2 laughed. "That's awful heroic of you Birdie! Let's see how long that lasts."

The comment caused a shiver of disgust to run up Suga’s spine, and he wanted nothing more than to thrash and struggle. He held back the urge to spit in the man's face as his cheeks burned with embarrassment, but he held his ground. 

Oikawa stopped trying to pry the man's hands-off and instead focused all his energy on avoiding lashing out. He glued his eyes to the floor, tracing the subtle scratches and cracks littering the cold stone. 

With Oikawa indisposed and subdued for the time being, Sugawara figured that the best course of action was to completely ignore his current situation. The more Number 2's hands began to roam and wander, the farther into his head Suga retreated. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting back sounds as the hands traveled lower, squeezing and gripping and whatever they could reach. 

Suga felt like he was going to vomit. 

In his ear, Number 2 sucked his teeth, seemingly displeased. " _ I know darling _ ,  _ I know," _ He mocked, voice pitching in a poor imitation of Oikawa. 

Sugawara cringed as the endearment reached his ears. It sounded different when Oikawa said it, a playful smile on his lips and a compliment on his tongue. When Oikawa called him darling, everything seemed to slow down and then speed up, making Suga’s heart flutter and his stomach do cartwheels. When Oikawa said it, it was warm, like a freshly baked pastry or a perfect cup of coffee on a slow morning. Oikawa calling him " _ darling"  _ was like coming home. It was comforting and safe and it was  _ theirs.  _

Yet this sick, perverted, _oaf_ of a man had thought it funny to take something of theirs and twist it into something that made Suga’s skin crawl. 

_ Don't move. Stay quiet. Let it happen.  _

Sugawara couldn't afford to be a hypocrite. Not now, not when Oikawa was trying his hardest to abide by the one rule they had to follow. Oikawa was doing his best, and it was only fair Suga did the same. 

_ Let it happen.  _

And that's exactly what he did.

⇐ - ⇒ 

When Number 2 had finally finished having his way, he dropped Sugawara's limp body to the ground. He then motioned for his companion to let go of Oikawa, a now bored expression crossing his face. Number 1 did as told, releasing Oikawa's shoulders and shoving him off of the chair. The brunette lost his balance, stumbling forward and just barely managing to avoid crashing to the ground. 

Instantly his eyes zeroed in on Sugawara. Oikawa found himself crawling to his side, listlessly surveying the damage. He had closed his eyes for most of the ordeal, something that he felt immensely guilty for. Suga was suffering mere feet away and the best thing he could do to help was look away and  _ cower.  _ Now, logically, Oikawa knew he couldn't do anything against two trained men, but he hadn't even  _ tried.  _

Shaking away the regret, Oikawa searched around for Suga’s shirt. He had no time to throw a pity party. Once finding said shirt, Oikawa began to redress his boyfriend, pointedly not looking at any of the purpling marks or strangely hand-shaped prints. He carefully avoided steely grey eyes that seemed to stare right past him. 

Exhausted, Oikawa finished his self-assigned task and curled up next to Suga, leaving a few inches of space between them. He wanted to take the smaller into his arms but refrained. Would Suga want to be touched? His question was answered in the form of a shaky hand softly placing itself on his arm. 

Oikawa understood, scooting closer and gently curling one arm around Suga. He made sure his hold was loose, unwilling to cage the other in after what had happened. 

Hopefully, they would be left alone like this for today. 

He placed a ghost of a kiss to Suga's hair, lips barely brushing the silver strands. With a sigh, Oikawa frowned, closing his eyes. 

He wouldn't let anything like this happen again. Suga didn't deserve to be hurt, and he wouldn't be if Oikawa could help it. 

  
  


⇐ - ⇒ 

  
  


"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-," Oikawa chanted as he pulled the rope tighter around Suga's neck. His foot pressed against Suga’s back forcing everything but his neck to the floor. Sugawara gasped for air, gaping and trying to get some sort of relief. His head was beginning to feel fuzzy, and his vision was blurring at the edges. He wanted to tell Oikawa that it was okay, that it wasn't his fault, that Suga  _ understood.  _

But he couldn't. 

Suga could do nothing but grasp at the rope around his neck, hoping and praying for just one moment of reprieve. Distantly, over the buzzing in his ears, Suga could hear the familiar ding of the loudspeaker. 

"Hmm, that's enough of that." Itona's voice flowed through the speaker. Oikawa hadn't even heard the full sentence before he was releasing the rope, allowing Suga to greedily gulp down air. He coughed, hands coming up to soothe his aching throat. His skin was indented and heated, and he was sure there was rope burn. Sitting up, Suga prayed that this was it for today, that Itona would finally leave them to lick their wounds in peace. 

He felt Oikawa’s hands on his shoulders, and he instinctively flinched away before getting over himself and leaning back into the warmth. 

"Now, I have a special request, if you don't mind." That made the both of them tense, as the "special requests" were never anything good. "I found the rope lacking a certain," he paused, "..intimacy. You know what I mean, don't you Hisa dear?" That bitch was probably nodding along, kissing up to Itona like she always did. "Wonderful! Now Oikawa, if you wouldn't mind," He smiled brightly, "use your hands."

Suga's mind blanked, and the breath he had just gotten back left his lungs. Use his….hands? 

Said hands shook violently on Suga’s shoulders, and there was a sharp pang in Suga’s heart. Oikawa was already so distressed, and yet Itona yielded no mercy. It hurt Suga desperately, and he just wanted to make all the pain go away. 

Itona seemed to be getting impatient. "Need I remind you of our deal?" 

Right. 

Breathing in deeply, Suga turned, gently grasping Oikawa’s hands. He stared into the other's eyes, mimicking his actions from their first day here. Suga mouths an inaudible " _ It's okay _ " before giving Oikawa the best smile he could muster. 

With Oikawa’s hands still in his hold, Suga laid on his back, bringing Oikawa to hover over him. He gently guided the hands to his neck, placing them on either side. He let go, pale hand coming to rest on Oikawa's cheek. Tears spill over the brunette’s cheeks, landing on his palm and dripping onto Suga's thin shirt. 

"Don't cry Tooru, it's okay.  _ I forgive you."  _

That seems to set something off in Oikawa, and he breaks down sobbing, salty tears rolling down his face in waves. The hands around Suga's neck are still shaking, but there is no pressure.  _ Not yet _ , his mind helpfully supplies. 

"While this is very sweet boys, it's not very good footage. What will your friends think of such a poor performance?" Itona taunts. Suga knows he's sitting behind that  _ damned glass _ , watching through the cameras like the creep he is. 

Oikawa breathes out, uttering one more " _ I'm so sorry"  _ before squeezing his hands, effectively cutting off Suga’s airflow for the second time that day. 

After that, Suga can't really recall. Everything after is fuzzy, black spots dotting his vision and a ringing in his ears. His hand falls from Oikawa’s face and he tries to focus on Oikawa above him, tries to change the image to something better, something  _ different.  _ If he tries hard enough, Suga can pretend that it's just them, and Oikawa isn't about to kill him; if not for a moment. 

Moments later, Suga could feel his chest constricting, could hear his heartbeat slowing and thudding in his ears. There's a prick of tears in his eyes and the pressure around his neck begins to feel fainter. He doesn't know if it's Oikawa letting up or his body finally giving out on him. Either way, Sugawara knows he's about to meet his end. It's terrifying, facing your death, but Suga couldn't help but think that it was good that he would die at the hands of the man he loved the most. It was kind of funny, he thought, dying on a filthy floor surrounded by an audience of people. Suga never expected to die a hero's death in this situation; outsmarting their captors and carrying them to safety before finally kicking the bucket, but really? This? God must’ve really had a sick sense of humor. 

Eyes slipping shut, Suga began succumbing to the siren call of unconsciousness. It was probably selfish, leaving Tooru alone like this; hopefully, the other would forgive him. 

"Alright, that's enough." 

Suddenly, the air is rushing back into Suga’s lungs, filling them faster than he can keep up with. He chokes and splutters, tears freely coursing down his cheeks. Everything spins and tilts, and Suga’s lightheadedness makes way for a pounding headache. 

No one moves, watching as Sugawara struggles to catch his breath, gasping and wheezing. Oikawa stands frozen, tears rapidly cooling and drying on his skin. He's staring at his shaking hands, eyes wide. He's muttering something, something Sugawara can't exactly make out or understand, but he's speaking like his hands have personally offended him.

"Very good wrap-up boys! Outstanding performance as always!" Itona praises. It's then that Sugawara decides that he can't take any more of this, not today, and passes out.    


⇐ - ⇒    


He hears it before he sees it. 

The sharp  _ thwack  _ of leather meeting stone startles Suga out of his light sleep. Judging from the twitch against his back, Oikawa had heard it too.  _ Real _ , Suga reminded himself. The sound wasn't just in his head. 

Lately, Suga has been hearing things. Nothing too serious in his opinion, just the occasional clang of metal, the shrill beep of a speaker, or the resounding smack of skin hitting skin. He blamed the noise on a lack of proper sleep. At times, the noises were so loud that he would instinctively flinch, even if they were alone and all was quiet. Those times, Oikawa would shut down, distancing himself from Suga as best as he could. Those were the worst days. 

Another crack sounded throughout the room, and Suga couldn't be bothered to be scared anymore. The initial panic and adrenaline that ramped up his heart rate had died out  _ days  _ ago. Suga had little fight even before all of this, so it didn't take much to give up completely. 

If you had asked Suga before what he would do in this situation, he would've firmly told you that he would fight tooth and nail to escape. That he would refuse to be locked up and laughed at like some sort of zoo animal. Yet here he was, quiet and complacent. The irony was almost humorous, and it had made him laugh aloud more than once when he thought about it for too long. His laughter used to morph into gross sobs, but his tears had long since dried up too.

"Rise and shine my dears! We have a full schedule today," Itona's grating voice sing-songed. What was once smooth and infuriatingly haunting became shrill and annoying to Suga’s ears. Annoyance seemed to be a constant now, something Suga caught himself feeling more often than not. "It's wrap-up day! Get excited!" Suga ignored him in favor of sitting up completely and leaning back into Oikawa. The other man hesitated before touching him, he always did nowadays, but tentatively wrapped his hands around his waist. The annoyance lessened at that.

The annoyance came back full force and persisted as Itona droned on and on about today's "agenda", so Suga decided that it was better to tune him out. It didn't matter what he was saying anyway, they were going to end up injured or humiliated either way. 

"-d that means Hisa gets to help out today! Isn't that great?" 

_ That  _ caught Suga’s attention. His head snapped up to the taller man, mouth open in shock. Hisa had only "helped" once or twice before —she preferred to stick by Itona's side, smugly smirking and clearly enjoying whatever went on— and both times had been hell on Oikawa's nerves. 

The brunette had told him time and time again that he would take beating after beating from the wonder duo before he was stuck in a room with her again. 

If there was one thing that Suga knew, it was that Hisa Kano was a bitch of a woman who should be kept as far away from them as possible. Of course, Itona  _ also  _ knew that, so what better than to do the exact opposite?

Both Suga and Oikawa remained silent, but that didn't seem to dampen Itona's mood. The man looked practically giddy, which was not a good look for someone so irritating. His grin widened and he motioned to his right, the bitch of the hour stepping forward. ' _ Of course,'  _ Suga thought, ' _ She was here the whole time.'  _

Hisa waved, smile sharp. She held something long coiled around her hand, and Suga realized that it must be a rope. His stomach dropped, remembering the last time they had brought out the rope. His neck  _ still  _ hasn't recovered. 

"Oikawa dear, come here would you?" Hisa asked smoothly. Suga bristled at the endearment but kept his mouth shut. He also held back the urge to roll his eyes. She was trying so hard to be the man she claimed to admire so much, but it just came off as desperate and pathetic. A poor imitation. If there was one person more annoying than Itona, it was her _.  _

Behind him, Oikawa squeezed his arms tighter around Suga's waist, muttering apologies into his hair. Suga barely heard them but appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. With that, Oikawa let go and stood, shuffling over towards Hisa. The two conversed (which really just meant that Hisa talked and Oikawa nodded along), and she then placed the coil into Oikawa's waiting hand. 

It unraveled, falling to the floor with a soft  _ thump _ . Suga’s eyes followed its path, widening as he began to notice that the material thinned out towards the tip, showing that it was indeed  _ not  _ a rope, but a sturdy braided leather whip. 

Fuck. 

For the first time in a while, Sugawara started to feel the sharp sting of fear grip his chest. He kept looking from Oikawa to Hisa, his nerves practically shot. Hisa snaps her fingers and her lackeys enter, responding like well-trained dogs. 

And then there are hands. They're gripping his shoulders, pawing at his shirt, pulling, pulling,  _ pulling.  _ Fear comes at him full force now, the feeble dam he had built crumbling to dust at his feet. The hands are grasping at his arms, yanking the clothing from his body and still  _ touching him _ . There's blood rushing in his ears and he's flailing, shoving, and pushing at whatever meets his hands. It's different from before, this fear. Sugawara thought he knew fear, that nothing could be worse than what they'd already endured. He was wrong. So  _ so  _ wrong. 

The panic is all-consuming, muddling his thoughts and pushing his body past its limits with adrenaline. The sharp claws of raw terror dig into his heart, threatening to tear it right out of his chest. 

He can hear someone screaming, filling the room with terrified shrieks and curses. Only after a few moments does Suga understand that it's  _ him. He's  _ the one wailing, begging, and pleading, " _ Tooru! Tooru please! I'm sorry, Tooru!"  _ over and over. 

Oikawa offers no response, but his grip on the whip tightens, his knuckles going white. He's breathing heavily and his shoulders are heaving. The only ones unaffected seemed to be Hisa and Number 2, Number 1 having the audacity to look uncomfortable. 

"Let's get a move on, yeah?" Hisa hums, kicking Oikawa’s shin with her heel. "The sooner you hurry this shit up, the faster we can get you back home. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" 

Oikawa stumbles, looking back at Hisa with his jaw slack in shock. "H-Home? We can- you'll let us leave?" 

Hisa rolls her eyes before plastering on a sickly sweet fake smile. "Good job Oikawa! Glad your hearing is still intact. Now be a good boy and finish up," she coos, tone exaggerated and condescending. 

Sugawara listens to about half of their conversation before he's once again being manhandled into place. He's pushed onto his knees, hands out to catch his weight. The hands are no longer touching him, but he swears he can hear their owners laughing at him. His cheeks burn with embarrassment. He feels humiliated. 

A shadow casts itself across Suga’s back, which makes his head turn. He catches sight of Oikawa, standing above him with the whip in hand. A sudden thought runs through Sugawara's head. Even like this, dirty and tear-stained, backed by the fluorescent lights of a dingy room, Oikawa is beautiful. He's as stunning as he was the day they met, and Suga is once again struck by the fact this man  _ loves  _ him. Well, used to. He doesn't know how the brunette feels about him now, after everything, but the fact that he  _ was  _ loved is more than enough for Suga. He'll take whatever he's given because he owes that to Oikawa. 

He owes everything to Oikawa. 

The first strike is weak, Oikawa's hands shaky and unprepared to carry out such a task. It hurts, but only for a second. There was not enough force to do any real damage. 

Suga lets out a shaky breath, almost relieved that the initial contact wasn't painful. Hisa on the other hand, looked like she was feeling the exact opposite. She had been impatient from the start, but Oikawa’s hesitance seemed to piss her off. She stalked over, grabbing the whip from Oikawa and shoving him aside. 

"You get one more chance, Oikawa." She hissed, stray hairs falling into her face. "I guess I'll have to show you how it's done." 

Grinning, she raised her hand and swung it back down, leather meeting skin. A sharp  _ thwack  _ echoed off the walls, but Sugawara was too busy biting the inside of his cheek to notice. 

The second strike was harsher than the first, cracking against Suga’s back. It stung, the sharp tingle melting into a simmering burn. Without warning came another, jerking Suga’s body towards the floor. 

"Now, it's your turn. Try not to pussy out this time." Hisa laughs before stepping away, throwing a thumbs up towards the window and one more to the camera. 

It was then that Sugawara realized that Itona was no longer in the room. 

He didn't get much time to question that, because there's another sharp cutting pain on his back, closer to his shoulder blades. 

The pain doesn't let up, razor-sharp lashes meeting skin over and over and  _ over.  _ He feels the leather dig and tear into his skin, making his entire body tremble in an effort to keep himself up. It's agonizing, and the pain is  _ everywhere.  _ Oikawa is sloppy and uncoordinated, whipping whatever skin he can reach. The whip meets his arms, his back, and even the floor next to him. 

One particular strike hits directly onto the back of Suga’s neck, and his vision completely whites out. The bruises there have barely healed, and the whip  _ rips  _ the skin there. It  _ burns.  _ Suga can't tell if the wetness on his skin is tears or blood, but it doesn't matter because there's so much  _ pain _ . It's overwhelming all of Suga’s senses, and for the third time since arriving, he feels like he's truly about to die. His head feels like it's going to explode, and for a moment Suga thinks that's preferable. 

Anything but  _ this.  _

Suga’s arms give out, body slumping forward and landing with a pained whimper. He can hear Oikawa falter, but Hisa must’ve said something because it starts again. 

Suga sobs, eyes squeezing shut. Above his head, his nails dig into the stone floor, tearing up his nailbeds and redirecting some of the pain to his hands. 

He doesn't even know how many times he's been hit, but he prays it either ends soon or he dies before it's over. Either way, Suga just wants this to  _ end.  _   


⇐ - ⇒ 

Halfway across the city, Daichi sat at the very edge of his couch, eyes glued to the bright screen of his TV. The channel had not been changed for almost a week now. Its screen displayed the local news station all day, running late into the night until Daichi passed out and Hajime shut it down. 

It was a cycle that had yet to be broken for almost a week now and Daichi was exhausted. He was given time off from the precinct, his co-workers deeming him "too close" to the investigation to help properly. 

He was almost completely helpless, forced to sit on his ass here instead of being out  _ there _ . He could be out finding Sugawara and Oikawa right now, yet here he was. 

The newscaster droned on about some local bake sale that was being hosted by a bunch of middle-schoolers. Daichi's frustration just kept piling up. He wanted to tear his hair out, Suga and Oikawa could be  _ dead  _ for all he knew. The last thing he wanted to find was his friends’ dead bodies floating in some river somewhere. 

"Try not to stare the newscaster to death, yeah?" Daichi turned to see his fiancée leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and a small frown on his face. 

"Hajime-," 

"Don't 'Hajime' me, Daichi. You know there are people out there looking right?"

"Of course I know that!" Daichi snapped before deflating, slouching against the couch and rubbing at his temple. "I'm sorry, I just- I feel so useless here. What if- What if they're-,"

"Daichi." Iwaizumi interrupted. Daichi clamped his mouth shut, going silent. He watched as Iwaizumi sighed, pushing away from the doorframe and crossing to the couch. Now that he was closer, Daichi could see the dark bruises under his eyes, probably rivaling Daichi’s own. He looked just as tired as Daichi felt. 

Warmth engulfed his hands as Iwaizumi clasped them between his own, bringing the tips of his fingers to his lips. He softly kissed each finger, as if trying to kiss away Daichi’s worry. It worked, for the most part, and Daichi felt himself melting just a bit. 

"They'll be okay. Wherever they are, they'll come home safe and we'll worry about everything else later." Daichi wanted to argue, blurt out that maybe they  _ won't  _ be okay, that Oikawa and Suga will  _ never  _ come home, but he doesn't. Iwaizumi seems to be trying to convince himself of the same things he's reassuring Daichi of, and who was he to deny him that? 

Before he could thank Iwaizumi for settling his nerves, there was a sharp knock at the door. Daichi shot up, immediately pulling away from Iwaizumi and striding towards the door. He threw it open —hoping to find a fellow officer with some good news for a change— and was instead surprised by two large men dressed in all black. 

They both wore heavy tactical gear and one had a small brown package tucked under his left arm. 

One of the men wordlessly pulled the package free and handed it out, silently urging him to take it. 

Daichi cleared his throat, feeling somewhat awkward about this whole thing. "We uh- we didn't order any-,"

"We know." 

Daichi blinked, taken aback by the blunt interruption. Albeit confused, Daichi took the parcel, looking it over. 

"Just watch the tapes." Was the last thing the man said before turning on his heel and leaving, the other following close behind. 

Tapes? 

Daichi closed the door slowly, eyes glued to the package. He tentatively called for Iwaizumi, who poked his head out of the kitchen. 

"Can you bring me the scissors?" Daichi called, not waiting for a reply before reclaiming his spot on the couch. 

Minutes later, Daichi and Iwaizumi sat side by side, staring at the open contents of the package. On their coffee table rested a pristine white envelope, completely devoid of any address. Next to the letter rested a single USB hard-drive, small and completely black in color. There were also two DVDs, neatly stacked and tied off with a ribbon. 

What kind of prank was someone trying to play? Who would send such a cliché and  _ stupid  _ package? 

Iwaizumi was the first to break the silence and bring Daichi back from his thoughts. "I think we should open the letter first." 

"I don't see a point in playing along with whatever this is, Hajime. I say we take all this to the station." Daichi argued. He had a bad feeling about all of this; like a giant stone had settled itself in his stomach. 

"I don't know Dai," Iwaizumi pressed, "I really think we need to look at this. It was sent to  _ us  _ after all. That has to mean something right?" 

Iwaizumi made sense, Daichi knew that. But Iwaizumi was also desperate, trying to grasp any straw within reach. 

Then again, so was Daichi. 

With a sigh, Daichi nodded. "But only on one condition. We bring this to the police  _ immediately _ after we finish." 

Iwaizumi agreed and reached for the letter. 

Not bothering with a letter opener, Iwaizumi ripped open the paper, pulling out three slips of paper. 

The first was a small handwritten note, written in the most annoying font that Daichi had ever seen.    
  


_ To whom it may concern,  _

_ Enclosed with this letter is a little show that I've put together. I do hope that you enjoy it. As your host, it is my duty to bring you only the finest that our fair city has to offer. You may recognize our stars, so be sure to give them a warm welcome when they return!  _

_ P.S. Some shows are best enjoyed with friends! _

"What the fuck is this?" 

Daichi nodded his agreement because honestly, who would send something like this? Now Daichi knew for sure that this was nothing but an elaborate prank because no sane person would write out something like this and expect anyone to take it seriously.

Groaning, Daichi held out his hand for the letter, having every intention to tear it to pieces and throw it away. "This is probably some ploy by a failing network to get us to watch their shitty show. I don't see a point in-,"

Daichi trailed off as he caught sight of the other two slips of paper that were hidden behind the letter. He carefully took them from Iwaizumi’s hand, placing the two side by side on the table. 

Displayed out together, the details were unmistakable. Two photos, almost mirror images of each other. The only differences were of  _ whom  _ the pictures were taken and when. 

In one, there was a boy with indisputable wild orange hair and his taller companion. They were seated on a bench, bathed in what looked like the morning sun. Hinata seemed to be animatedly talking with wide gestures (if the blur in the photo was anything to go by). Kageyama on the other hand; outwardly seemed disinterested. His head was tilted and his eyes were slightly narrowed, but there was a subtle quirk of his lips betraying how he truly felt. 

In the other, the scene was set at sundown. The sunset's colors of orange and pink blended seamlessly, casting a perfect backdrop for the photo's models. Instead of wild orange and black, there were hues of silver and brown. The two were swathed in the fading warmth of the sun's final rays and smiling. They looked happy,  _ safe.  _

This had to have been taken before they went missing. 

The thought sent a chill up Daichi’s spine. He turned to Iwaizumi, only to see that his partner was already dialing their friends. They both held their breath as the phone rang, before a tentative, " _ Hello?"  _ came from the receiver. 

Relieved, Daichi silently asked for the phone and nodded his thanks as he placed it to his ear.

"Kageyama, I need you to grab Hinata and get over here as soon as possible." 

"Can I ask why?" Kageyama questioned, confusion evident in his voice. 

Daichi shook his head, even though Kageyama couldn't see it. "I'll explain more once you get here. Please be quick, and don't talk to anyone." 

There was a pause, probably because Kageyama was trying to figure out what was going on. "Alright. We'll be there in twenty minutes." 

There was a soft  _ click _ and the call ended. 

With that out of the way, Daichi handed the phone back. He dragged his hands down his face, shoving down the worry that was starting to bloom. Kageyama and Hinata would be  _ fine.  _ They would make it safe and sound, and then they could all get to the bottom of this. 

"Are we going to watch what's on the DVDsice-cold?" 

Daichi weighed the pros and cons, but ultimately his curiosity won out in the end. 

"I don't see why not. Really what's the worst that could happen?"

⇐ - ⇒ 

They ended up waiting for the other couple to arrive, quickly ushering them inside. 

Hinata immediately hugged both hosts, excitedly chattering about how cool it was that they were all hanging out together. Kageyama was quieter, greeting his friends but keeping the exchange brief. 

After everyone was settled, Daichi sat the younger couple down on the couch and wordlessly handed them the letter and photos. Kageyama looked them over first, scanning each page before showing it to Hinata. 

The two sat in silence while they looked, brows furrowing. They wore twin frowns, though Hinata was more visibly upset. 

Kageyama gently set everything down, turning to face Daichi. "What does any of this have to do with us? Are you insinuating that we had something to do with their disappearance?" 

Daichi shook his head, hands held up in mock surrender. "I'm not insinuating anything. We got these earlier and figured you would want to know. Have you gotten anything similar?" 

Both Kageyama and his partner answered with a negative. 

"Wait, are we going to watch those?" Hinata asked, pointing to the small stack of discs. Daichi pursed his lips, still hesitant. It very well may be a prank, but there was also the possibility that it  _ wasn't _ . 

Iwaizumi answered for him. He grabbed the discs, popping the first one into the DVD player. "Yeah, we wanted to wait in case they had something to do with you." 

Hinata shivered but didn't protest. He leaned closer to Kageyama, settling under his arm. 

Daichi decided that he was going to remain standing. His nerves were buzzing, and he was sure sitting down would only aggravate them further. 

The screen booted up, Iwaizumi taking a breath before pressing play. 

The video started with a wide shot of a house. 

It was dark, and the camera was somewhat shaky, and Daichi could faintly hear someone breathing. 

Then it hit him. Like someone had dumped ice-cold water onto him, Daichi realized. 

_ That was Sugawara’s house.  _

Daichi froze, hand hovering over his pocket. The video continued, cutting to the front of a door. Judging from the flooring, the intruder was already in the house. The door opened and Daichi heard everyone's breath hitch. Hinata gasped, wide-eyed and pointing at the screen. 

Kageyama shushed him but was shifting on the couch, visibly uncomfortable. 

The camera shifted, turning its lens fully onto the figures sleeping a few feet away. It moved closer, zeroing in on the bed. It was unquestionable. That was Oikawa and Sugawara, looking completely vulnerable. 

It made Daichi’s stomach turn. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Iwaizumi clench his fist. He was probably just as upset as Daichi, if not more. 

Daichi swallowed as the video cut again, hastily pulling out his cell. He called the station, quickly detailing the events that occurred since receiving the package. His eyes were still glued to the screen, where the quality of the camera seemed to change. 

After a few promises to bring everything in for evidence, Daichi ended the call. 

Looking back to the screen, Daichi watched as someone began negotiating with his friends. The camera didn't pick up much, but did manage to catch, 

_ "As you know, we have only one condition, if you fail to meet these requirements, well, you could easily be replaced." _

The words were punctuated by the flip of a folder. Photos were on display, just barely close enough to guess its subject. If Daichi squinted, he could make out two figures. If he leaned a little closer, he could see smudges of orange and black. 

Tensing, Daichi looked to the couple beside him. Their faces were pale and Hinata was gripping Kageyama's arm like it was a lifeline. 

It continued to spiral from there. 

After the negotiation, the video cut to a black screen, with only audio. There was shuffling and slight cursing before someone was whispering. Daichi couldn't make out any words, but it sounded rushed and frantic. 

There was a brief silence, then more rustling. The whispers raised to low murmurs, and then someone was crying. 

It turned out to be Sugawara, who was sniffling and hiccuping his way through what sounded like a confession. It made Daichi’s chest ache, twisting in a way that made him want to shut off the TV and just curl up alone. It was  _ heartbreaking _ . 

The others weren't doing much better. Hinata's own sniffles persisted through the small speech given by the kidnapper, and Iwaizumi was refusing to even look at the screen. Kageyama remained silent, eyes downcast and also avoiding the events playing out on-screen. Daichi couldn't even begin to understand how those two were feeling. He felt guilty, dragging them into this and forcing them to watch this. 

He thought about stopping the video when it once again cuts to another scene. This time, Oikawa and Suga were alone in the room, huddled together and dozing. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but the two looked exhausted. 

Two of the large men entered the room, and then the video was paused. 

Daichi tore his eyes away and was surprised to see Hinata gripping the remote. His eyes were still wet with tears, but the resolution was clear on his face. 

"I don't want to watch anymore." 

And that was that. 

Everyone in the room nodded along, agreeing. It made Daichi sick, how willing he was to just sit and  _ watch  _ this all play out. Hinata was right to turn it off. 

The sharp ringing of a cellphone shocked Daichi out of his thoughts, making him jump. He fumbles for the device, clumsily hitting accept and holding it up to his ear. 

On the other end is a fellow police officer, telling him to come down to the station. She's talking over the bustling sounds of the station, which means that there was most likely some sort of breakthrough in a case. 

Daichi nods along, about to reassure her that he will be bringing the tapes and photos. She thanks him, before lowering her voice. 

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, since you're not on this investigation, but I think you should hurry down here. We've found……." 

The rest of the words fade out as Daichi processes what he’s hearing. His grip on the phone tightens in fear that he might drop it. Once the officer is done, he shakily thanks her and ends the call. He continues to stare at the contact screen, almost expecting the woman to call back and laugh at him.  _ “Ha ha got you! Your friends are actually dead and we actually discovered their bodies!"  _

That of course, doesn't happen. There's no callback, no one laughing at him, just silence. 

A silence that Hinata breaks after growing impatient. "Who was on the phone? What did they say?"

Daichi runs a hand through his hair while trying to gather his frazzled thoughts. The timing of everything happening is weird, and it makes Daichi wonder just how far this thing was planned out. 

"It was an officer from the station. She says-," He closes his eyes, breathing out slowly, "she says that Oikawa and Suga showed up there." 

  
  


⇐ - ⇒ 

Floating. 

Sugawara feels like he's floating. 

Everything is dark, and everything still hurts, though the pain is a lot duller _.  _

That must mean he's not dead. Which he knows, objectively, is a good thing. Even still, he doesn't want to wake up. This is the best he's felt in a while, and he's not ready to let go yet. For now, he's content to lay suspended in whatever darkness is consuming his subconscious, as long as he continues to float. Floating means no pain, and no pain means  _ safe.  _

  
  


⇐ - ⇒

The ride to the station is a quick one, all four men piled into Daichi's car. They waste no time getting to their destination, managing to only run two red lights. 

They reach the station in record time, practically jumping out of the car in their haste. Daichi rushes in, eyes quickly scanning the room for any tell-tale signs of brown or silver. 

"Sawamura!" 

The officer from before waves him over, ushering him and the others towards an interrogation room in the back. 

She motions for them to step in, shutting the door with a low  _ click _ . 

"You made it just in time, the ambulance is sure taking its time." 

Ambulance?

The officer nodded, and Daichi realized that he had said that out loud. No one seemed to mind, and the officer continued. "Yeah, those two were pretty banged up when we got 'em. The one is still unconscious, poor thing." She shakes her head, black glasses sliding down her nose. Daichi takes in the information, steeling himself for whatever damage had been done.

He turned towards the glass, confused when he saw that neither Oikawa nor Suga were seated at the table. Hinata tapped his shoulder, pointing towards the corner farthest from the two-way glass. 

Herded in the corner sat Oikawa, who had an unconscious Sugawara resting in his arms. The brunette held Suga close but seemed to avoid touching his back. Oikawa also seemed to be looking everywhere  _ but  _ the glass, which struck Daichi as odd.

Next to him, his co-worker spoke up, "He refused to let go of the blonde one. We tried separating 'em, but he kept mumbling about protecting something? Didn't make a lot of sense, but he complied with everything else well enough." 

_ Jesus Christ. _

"What the hell happened to you two?" 

**Author's Note:**

> IM SO SORRY THE ENDING IS AWFUL AHAJBXB BUT IM PROBABLY GONNA WRITE AN EPILOGUE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED


End file.
